a photo of tree tops taken looking up to the sky. They're dusted with snow and in the middle of the photo it says 2022

I’m a bit behind the eight ball in getting my 2022 Intention Words out.  They were created on the New Moon of January 2nd and have been very much part of my presence and practice over the past couple of weeks but I was resistant to getting my butt in the chair to write about them here.  I guess Lee Harris’s January energy update is alive in me. He did share that this January; the prompting is to go inward instead of launching out of the gate.  We can wait until February this year for that energy to arrive.  Thanks, Lee for giving me permission to not get too critical with myself…lol.

For those of you who have followed me for a while, you will be well aware of my New Year’s practice of creating my intention words that guide the overall vision of my year.  Like many, I found that New Year’s resolutions did not have enough motivation past January to make any impact on the whole year.  My words on the other hand create a framework for what I have chosen to invite into my life during the coming year. Whether I look at them often or they slip into the background of my awareness, they always carry the strength to draw the people, experiences and ideas to enrich my year.

Preparation

Creating the right space is the most important ingredient to getting clear intention words.  I provide myself with a window of time that I can call my own and not be interrupted.  Then I get my tea, journal, oracle cards, essential oils in the diffuser and an oracle or tarot deck of my choice. With soft relaxing music, I settle into a mediation to ground in my body.  Now I am ready to journal about the year I have just come through.  The highlights, the challenges, the insights and whatever else flows from my pen.  Then I allow myself to invite the vision of what I want the new year to feel like. From this, words or phrases come to me.  It’s like writing a letter to Santa as a child.  We tend to ask for things that will make us feel a certain way. Each word has its own unique meaning.  Allow me to share my 2022 Intention Words with you now.

  1. Deep Connection

    As I am beginning this year still on my sabbatical, I am taking a couple of online classes and a spiritual program to support this deepening practice. It is a desire to know myself and my journey more intimately. I would like this deeper connection to flow into my work with my students and clients.
  2. Innovation

    As we seem to be at a worldwide crossroad of change, I have been witnessing the clarity for myself and others of what no longer works. Sometimes the trickier part of letting go is to know what to replace the old with. I welcome in the energy of innovation to my life. Welcoming out of the box thinking, synergy and alchemy.
  3. Exploration

    To support the innovation, I am welcoming in a focus for exploring new things. It could mean listening to new music, reading books I would not normally pick up, engaging in conversations with radical openness. Shake things up and allow new neural pathways to engage.
  4. Playfullness

    This past couple of years has been a marathon of growth and not all days were joyful. I can get very serious when I am trying to understand what’s going on and how to maneuver rough waters. I am craving more laughter and lightness. It’s time to welcome that youthful free spirit back into my everyday living. Maybe I’ll join a couple of Cathy Nesbitt online laughter yoga sessions to spark some happy hormones.

These are my words for the year.  They ignite a good feeling when I read them and anticipation of how they will manifest in the weeks and months to come.  To give them a bit more visual presence this year, I have done the following.  I did a full card spread with The Muse Tarot deck by Chris-Ann.  Then I embarked in creating a vision board with the focus of my words and the guidance offered by the cards.  My Vision board is not complete yet.  I am searching out more magazines to complete it.  Watch for a finished picture on my social media pages. This will hang in my office where I can allow it to inspire me throughout the year.

I have had clients write me to share their experiences with creating intention words.  Some have found a picture that reflects each word for them, framed them and placed them in a significant spot in their home.  Some create cue cards and use them for bookmarks or tape them to their mirrors.  Some have done separate journal entries for each word and expanded on how the word inspires them.  Let your imagination run free and see what you come up with.  I can see candles, essential oils blends, bath salts, bracelets, songs etc.  Have some fun.

I love to hear about the ideas that you come up with or questions you may have.  Please share your magic.  Happy 2022 intentions!

Till next time,

feeling

I am stretching here to share a personal part of my year’s journey so far. I attended an Archangel Metatron workshop the weekend of January 11/12 as we entered into the Full Moon Lunar eclipse. The emotional energies were very sensitive. We did a powerful meditation on the first afternoon that really stayed with me.

Powerful Meditation

The most significant part took place in the first 60 seconds on tuning in. As I closed my eyes and began to take a few deep breathes, I saw myself with my arms stretched out to either side like wings and the feeling was that I was reaching out to connect with millions of others as we stretched around the globe. My heart felt so expanded it was palpable. Then just as quickly as it dropped into my awareness, it settled into the background and I could once again follow the voice of our facilitator as she continued to guide us.

The Feeling of a Seed Under the Ground

This vision however stayed with me and I wondered how it would show up in my life this year. Fast forward to 2 weeks ago, as I was in a personal coaching session and trying to articulate how I was feeling. This was just before the expanded actions of social distancing went into place. What I ended up sharing was that I was feeling like I was a seed under the ground.  One would think this to feel cocoon like and swaddled in the ground. That was not my sense at all. Once under the ground, it was as though it was expansive, that I was in touch with the whole planet via the earth. That I was connecting with light workers and healers around the planet and we were just waiting to be activated. That once the activation came, we would each know how to sprout up in our specific geographic area with our unique gifts to take action in the world.

Pivotal Transformation Point

It was such a strong and once again visceral sensation in my body. I feel this down time is meant for us to take purposeful time to go within, to receive the messages that only we can get on how we move forward in the world at this time. We are at a pivotal transformation point on the planet to awaken to more balance and conscious choices for the good of all. I still have not received my clear activation message however I am continuing to tune in and feel and learn. I trust it is coming and feel a sense of excitement building around it.

Use Your Time to Support Others and Learn

We chose to be here now so there is no mistake. Let us use this time wisely and learn. Let’s continue to reach out to each other in new ways, support those who need it. Let us share positive messages with those we know who have not been given the gift to slow down. Our front-line people who are out there every day. Thank you to all who are keeping our communities alive through their service.

There is one mantra that I have been saying every day.

I am Happy,

I am Healthy

I am Strong

I am full of Vitality

I am Divine

I am Loved and Loving

I am full of Gratitude that all is well in my life.

May blessings flow to all at this time even in the smallest gestures. Let’s see what we can create together as we symbolically join sacred hands and hearts.

Until next time,

Karen

A good friend shared an article with me recently that really hit home.  It was all about the Reiki Triangle and how one Reiki master interprets its value.

I found it curious because in the 24 years that I have been practicing Reiki, I had not heard this term. What I found was a very practical idea that I can share, whether one is a Reiki practitioner or not, for it speaks of balance in our energy. Specifically balancing what we give and what we receive. This concept has been a real focus this year in my practice.

Are You Running An Energy Deficit?

I often share with new clients that in our busy society – where there is more focus on doing rather than being – we are usually running an energy deficit. Our output is much greater than our input.

This is where the true gift of receiving Reiki presents itself; to fill up our consistently empty energy tank. It is easy for us to understand output and many will ask how best to access more input outside of coming in for a session every day.

My response covers 3 aspects. We rebalance our own energy reserves through:

  1. Good sleep.
  2. Good food.
  3. Doing things that bring us joy or peace within our body, mind and spirit.

The last category is endless and definitely an individual preference.  It can encompass things like being with friends, being in nature, our hobbies, travel, enjoying animals… you get the idea. Interestingly enough, without realizing it, I utilized the triangle symbolism by having these three categories.

Striking a Balance on Your Triangle

Within the article, the author speaks of striking a balance between doing self-practice, offering Reiki to / receiving Reiki from others.  I love this idea because through personal experience, I am finding the balance of these to be critical in my ability to offer the best of myself to my clients.

I have a regular daily self-practice that helps keep me connected and as I have a professional practice, I definitely fill the category of offering Reiki to the full extent.  The third section of the triangle involves receiving Reiki from someone else.  This has historically not been an equal share of my personal practice. I did realize that it was an area I could improve upon last fall and have since added more regular sessions for myself into my month.  It is making a big difference!

We can incorporate this model into our complete self-care program. If you are honest, would you say that you have a balance between what you do for yourself, what you do for others and what you allow others to do you for you?  It could be a very easy thing to record for a specific period.

As we enter this period of Spring and new beginnings, why not incorporate a new level of balance in our own energy input/output? I would love to hear from you with thoughts of this idea.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

Until next time,

Karen

inside out healing karen armstrong change your focus york region

Happy fall! It is my favourite time of year. As I reflect on the activities of the past summer, I am reminded of one great morning at church where our minister decided to show a movie entitled, “Celebrate What is Right in the World” by Dewitt Jones. It was so rich in inspiration, both visually and literally, as Dewitt told stories from his life and work at the National Geographic Magazine.

I absolutely encourage you to watch the Tedx Talk at this link:

I would also love to share some of my take aways from this video.

I’m not sure how many of you are, like me, hesitant to take in too much mainstream media because it focuses so much on what is wrong in the world. I find that the news I need to hear comes into my awareness anyway. And I can always look into any headline that I may want to learn more about.

Dewitt’s message spoke to me because as an energy worker I know that, where thoughts go, energy follows. In his career life, he was a photographer for the National Geographic Magazine. One of his opening lines was, “Vision controls perception and perception becomes our reality”. He didn’t realize until well into his career how powerfully the focus of his work for the National Geographic helped to reframe his perception. He began to notice how the world of media operates, from a Fear – Scarcity – Competition focus, instead of a “What’s possible or what is here to celebrate,“ focus.

Focusing on the Negative

It’s so easy to fall into an unconscious pattern of sharing stories with friends and co-workers on what is troubling, because let’s face it – life can be really tough!!  We like to have company along for the struggles in our journey. By talking about our difficulties, we can always find an understanding ear, but this point of view can rob us of the joys in life.

Over time, we always get what we focus on. And I have noticed how many people are getting very tired of going down the path of negativity our society has developed. It feels heavy, like it’s dragging you down. That is true!

A New Perspective

If we instead find ways to appreciate special moments each day, we will begin to retrain the focus of our attention. The more we do this the more we will notice how many moments in our day we can actually enjoy and be inspired by.

Like Dewitt, I have been labelled as a Pollyanna in my life. Though I never did understand how that was a negative thing. Even with a naturally positive outlook, I can find myself spiraling down the negativity path occasionally. There are lots of reasons, but typically it is because I’m tired, and not looking after my own self-care needs. But, if I can take time to walk, meditate, journal or share with a wise friend, even when things are a bit rough, it is possible to shift my perspective and create new possibilities.

Dewitt’s message reminds us to connect to the energy of passion every day. To look for what is here in our world to celebrate… to fall in love with. And to remember that every day we get to choose which lens we will look at the world with.

Change your Lens – Change your Life!

At our recent Women’s Wellness Circle, we created Vision Boards.  They represent a focus of attention that we want to invite into our lives. The collage of words and images should be placed somewhere we will see them every day. This subconsciously programs our perception to watch for ways to bring these visions into reality. We begin to align our energetic vibration to become a match for what we want.

Fall Equinox can be a powerful time to refocus and inspire new intentions. What do you want to invite into your life at this time?  Brainstorm, clarify and begin the baby steps to celebrate your journey of life!

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

Until next time, enjoy our beautiful fall,

Karen

 

 

Enneagram Personality Systems Seminar Workshop Ontario

Enneagram Personality Systems Seminar Workshop OntarioThe Enneagram personality system is a valuable platform for understanding ourselves and others.  I was introduced to it in 1994. Since then it has provided so much wisdom for me in my business and personal life that it was only natural for me to incorporate it into my practice.

Not Putting You in a “Box”

Unlike other personality typologies that tend to box us into a quadrant, the Enneagram works from the inside out (no wonder I like it!) to expose the underlying motivations that arise out of a basic desire and basic fear.  The system identifies 9 different ways that we respond to the world around us through our thoughts, feelings and actions.

I have so many clients and friends who have learned about the Enneagram through me and continue to share how valuable it has been in their lives. Relationships provide such a rich experience to be loved and supported as well as challenged and stressed.  There are two popular sayings that exemplify this fact so well:

“Birds of a feather flock together”

“Opposites attract”

Announcing Two New Videos!

I am excited to share that I have just completed two new videos that are now on my website to introduce this wonderful tool.  The first runs 15 minutes and gives an overview of the Enneagram system, its basic origins, some of the information we can learn from it and why it can support us in our everyday lives.  The second runs for 30 minutes and provides a brief description of each of the nine types. My intention was to introduce the material I would cover at an introductory workshop and become the base for further exploration.

Here is a link to the videos.

Join Us June 2nd for a Full Day of the Enneagram!

Enneagram Personality System Seminar Training Workshop Ontario

For those in the geographic area, the videos provide the perfect introduction for a full day session taking place on June 2nd in Aurora at St Andrews Valley Golf Club from 9am – 6pm entitled “Exploring the Enneagram Types in Depth”. During this day you will witness an interactive panel of people who know their type come and share from their perspective of the world.  If you are not sure of your type before coming, the experience typically provides enough examples to clarify the differences and to know what really feels right within you.

Here is an email I received from a participant after attending the full day program;

Fantastic session. Thank you so much.

Being a Type 5, I am now investigating and analyzing. It is remarkable how some things from 30+ years ago are now clear to me. Truly worthwhile from my perspective.

I am an already enthusiastic fan and proponent. My ‘Type 9 with Type 1 influences’ wife is very amused by my continuous talking about it. Of course, we are all now classified in my family and our motivations laid bare. Yeesh!

I believe that life is meant to be fun and that learning is a constant inspiration for fulfilment and expansion of awareness. Anything that provides more understanding to de-stress our lives is time worth spending.  I encourage you to take a look at the video. Explore for yourself if there is something more for you in the Enneagram.

Until next time, enjoy this beautiful spring weather and do something to nurture your important relationships.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

In harmony,

Karen

Looking through my photos of my trip to Japan allows me to continue to integrate my experience. Today I want to share what is possible when we open up to collaboration from others on a challenge to create something totally unique and special.

The Buddhist Temple of Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
One of the Temples that I visited really touched my heart from this perspective. Otagi Nenbutsu-ji is a Buddhist Temple in the Arashiyama neighbourhood of Kyoto. Originally founded by Empress Shotoku in the middle of the eighth century, it was destroyed once by flooding and once by a civil war. It was moved to its current location in 1922, later suffering typhoon damage in 1950.  It took thirty years to repair the damage but when it was finally restored worshipers celebrated by donating the 1200 rakan sculptures (stone statues representing the disciples of Buddha).

reiki retreat karen armstrong find your tribe

reiki retreat karen armstrong find your tribe

I just completed a 3 day Reiki Retreat last week and by the end many of my students expressed feeling such comfort because they had “found their tribe”.  This expression describes the feeling of being in a group of like-minded people where it is safe to share our true selves.  We get to dream, explore our inner world, express our needs and feel supported instead of judged.

Sometimes Our Spiritual Path Can Feel Lonely

Sometimes when we are on a spiritual or holistic path, it can feel lonely holding down the fort in our circle of family and work connections.  Some of them may want to support us however they may have different beliefs and so we are careful of where and when we share our own thoughts and feelings.

It is both reassuring and inspiring to come together and deepen our own inner knowing.  We part ways knowing that we are not alone and this group that once was strangers have become our tribe. The culture that has emerged in our affluent society has created a reality that many families live in different cities. Getting together requires planning and time both of which are stretched to limits with full schedules.  Finding a common interest helps to bring people together filling a need for being in community.

The Importance of Community in My Life

I realize how important community is for me as I have created a few very important ones in my life. My love of music and singing has found home for the past 30 years with the North Metro chorus. My thirst for knowledge and sharing has led me to host a monthly Women’s Wellness Circle for over 10 years. We joined some of our church friends to create a couples activity group that has enjoyed countless hours of fun and exploring for the last 17 years.  Finally, my work and life with reiki has now expanded into a circle of students, friends and colleagues who come together regularly.

North Metro Choir Karen Armstrong - Inside Out

These groups fill my life with a richness that is not possible on a solo journey.  Sometimes I need to balance and pull back for a while but I could not even dream of my life without all that a like-minded community brings.

Don’t get me wrong – it takes intention and action to find your group, as Amanda Kohr shares so beautifully on wanderlust.com;

Whether it’s a family, community, or group of fellow practitioners, our tribe is important because it reflects our values while simultaneously satisfying our need for companionship.

That being said, finding a tribe is hard. That’s why there are so many movies where high school students end up eating lunch alone. And as we bloom into adulthood and lose the setting of forced social interaction, it can be even more difficult to find authentic connections.

Doing so requires effort, authenticity, and confidence.

True – and I am here to say that it is worth every minute of searching.  So I invite you to reflect on what you might be missing in your life and then set the intention to find it. Let’s make life count and have fun along the way with our Tribe!

reiki retreat inside out karen armstrong

Do you have a favourite group of peeps that you want to share? I welcome input here.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

Until next time, may you enjoy your summer.

Karen

biophoton light therapy

biophoton light therapyBiophotons are the smallest physical units of light which are stored in and used by all biological organisms – including your body. The purpose of these biophotons is much more important than many have realized. It turns out that they may very well be in control of virtually every biochemical reaction that occurs in your body — including supporting your body’s ability to heal.

Your Body is Glowing

Your body actually emits light on a daily basis, in concentrations that rise and fall with your body clock and the rhythmic fluctuations of your metabolism over the course of the day.

This light is 1,000 times less intense than levels that can be seen with the naked eye, which is why most people cannot detect it.  Some people, however, are able to see this emitted light or “aura,” and some can even distinguish colors.

Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp was the first to suggest that this light must come, at least in part, from the foods we eat. When we eat plant foods, the light waves, or photons, in the plants are taken in and stored by your body.

Light Controls Your Cell Functions

It is known in biology that every cell in your body has over 100,000 biochemical reactions per second, all of which must be carefully timed and sequenced with each other.

Where Does Your Body’s Light Come From?

Dr. Popp proved that light in your body is stored by, and emitted from, your DNA. The DNA inside each cell vibrates at a frequency of several billion hertz. The vibration is created through the coil-like contraction and extension of your DNA — which occurs several billion times per second — and every time it contracts, it squeezes out one single biophoton; a light particle. That photon contains all the information on everything going on in your DNA at that moment.

Illness Occurs When Biophoton Emissions Are Out of Sync

Research by Dr. Popp also showed that the light emissions of healthy people follow a set biological rhythm for day and night and also by week and month, as though they are connected to biorhythms of the earth, as well.

However, in his studies, the light emissions from cancer patients had no such rhythms and appeared scrambled, which suggests their cells were no longer communicating properly.

Because light is such an integral part of your body’s processes, biophoton therapies are at the forefront of medicine. For instance, therapies are emerging that involve stimulating the body with specific quantities of light to reduce pain and promote healing processes.

For the full article – please click here.

Biophoton Light Therapy

I loved reading this article on Dr. Mercola’s site because it sets the groundwork for understanding the work I do with my Chiren Instrument called Biophoton Light Therapy. I have worked with this therapy for 5 ½ years now and the incredible results have proven that non-invasive energy-based therapy is very effective to bring balance back to the body.  Symptoms show up if our body is out of balance.

In the past month I have supported clients with strep throat, vertigo, digestive issues, headaches, negative vaccine reactions, heavy metal toxicity and anxiety. I am always learning from my clients as no one is the same. It is therefore fascinating and fulfilling to learn of symptoms easing and disappearing. The biggest comment is – why don’t more people know about this!

If you have had positive experience from a therapy, please share it. That’s the way we can help each other and take some of the strain away from our overburdened health care system. It’s time for each of us to participate in our own health and not expect a professional to fix us.  Thanks to the millions of people who dedicate their lives to supporting our well-being and may we remember; we are our own healers… always have been and always will be.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

To our health & wellbeing,

Karen

I recently attended my Regional Sweet Adeline contest in Syracuse, New York where we honoured our director of 45 years.  The legacy she has left for not only her chorus, but the Region and the International organization is undeniable.

Singing has been a passion of mine since I was a young girl and though I sang in school choirs and dreamed of growing up to be in musicals…. I never would have guessed that my passion would find its home in a women’s four-part a cappella organization. I found it when I was 22 years old and was hooked from the first visit. I didn’t realize that a women’s organization like this existed – I thought it was only a men’s gig.  I had so much fun on Tuesday evening rehearsals; I made great friends, learned so many vocal skills and the bonus was the choreography which reminded me of the musicals I loved growing up.

North Metro Chorus

After 5 years with a local group, I made the decision to try out with the Toronto group who I had the chance to watch and be inspired by at our Regional contests. Their level of performance, choice of music and fantastic choreography had me spellbound every time I saw them. So, in May of 1987, I made the move to North Metro Chorus where I am to this day 30 years later.

Director June Dale Always Led Us to Victory

June Dale has directed this chorus from its beginning with only 17 members to a peak of 185 members. She has led us to win every Regional Contest I have ever been in with North Metro which qualifies us to compete at the International level.  These international contests have fulfilled another of my passions, travel; as they are held in various US cities including Waikiki, Hawaii. When we placed first in 1996, we were the first chorus outside the USA to bring the gold medal home.  We now have 4 International gold medals to go along with many other top 5 medal placings.

We have been Walt Disney Newsies, chimney sweeps from Mary Poppins, Oklahoma, Sailors, Miners, Martians and Toy Soldiers, just to name a few or our themed packages. June continued to expand her talents over the years and became a Master Director, a certified music arranger, coach, International faculty member and a true visionary. Together with her daughters – Erin who created all our award winning choreography and Lynn who created our incredible costumes – this team was a true winning combination.

Passing of the Torch to Erin Howden

This past Regional, we had the opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of our incredible leader as she has decided to step down from directing us in competition and pass the torch over to her daughter Erin Howden. It was a weekend of emotional celebrations. There was a strong outpouring of love and respect shared from everyone in attendance including our International Judges who were present. I got another chance to reflect on how much this hobby has added to my life over the years. It makes the weekly travel, hours of learning, the cost of our dues and travel a small price in exchange for the lifelong friendships, transferable skills, numerous life experiences and the rush of creating the most beautiful harmony that changes the lives of ourselves and audiences alike.

It is an organization that welcomes novice singers of all ages to come together and create a professional level performance. I am as excited about the journey today as I was 35 years ago.   I can’t imagine my life without it!  Here is a link for a YouTube clip of our last International performance.  We have a show planned for this September 16th to perform the package we will take to international Competition in Las Vegas in October.   If you are interested in learning more, check us out here.

I would love to hear about your hobbies and how they add richness to your life.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

In harmony,

Karen

Joy is daily visits from our wild turkey neighbours

Have you ever heard the expression that “Life is Just an Illusion?” Humans have always searched for meaning and longed for the truth on why we are here and where we actually came from and go to. I remember as a child having some disturbing dreams about this unknown territory, yet thankfully have come to accept that for me – I know for sure that I am here now! This life feels very real.

Life on Earth

I have been reading a book on my new Kobo entitled: “Life on Earth”, by Mike Dooley.  It is like reading a book that incorporates thoughts of many others I have read including The Law of Attraction, A Course in Miracles, Return to Love… you get the idea. I had to smile at a passage I read last night and wanted to share it with you.

Concerning the world or dimensions, “before” and “after” time and space? Let it go. That you are alive now is indisputable. The important question then, is really, “What are you going to do about it?” It’s like being a fish born in and living its life in a fabulous, million-gallon aquarium while wondering about life beyond. That beyond is truly “incomprehensible”, if you try to wrap your head around it, you will have little traction. You are here, period. Wake up, discover, celebrate, and rock on. So what if you now have little idea of how or why you got in your “tank” and no idea of what will come next? Through observation, you can see that you will nevertheless call this place home your entire life.

You can notice that you are phenomenally powerful, that what you resist persists, and that what you think about, you bring about. That the energy moving you is free, that love is everywhere, that those sharing your space are as awesome. Scared and hopeful as you, and that your “tank” is a blooming paradise of splendor, beauty, diversity, simplicity, complexity, and abundance – all quite indescribable. Your “tank” is actually more like a gigantic, whirling, living, loving sphere…called Earth that constantly provides for you. This is not an accident. It loves you. Be here now.

The author doesn’t say he has all the answers that occupy our questioning minds, he acknowledges that we all have them.  If searching for answers to where we came from and where we go after this life are comforting or exciting and bring you meaning… awesome! If they stress you, then maybe it would serve us better to accept that planet Earth is our home and to be fully present to all the opportunity here for us to discover.

Putting Our Energy into Being Present

I must say that my list of things I want to do in this lifetime are endless. We have so much to explore and learn here.  I believe if I put all my energy into being present to the magic of each day and not plan every moment, I would feel fulfilled. It’s a constant balancing act for me – how much to plan and how much to just let go and go with the flow.

I smile every time I read one of Mike’s daily e-mails as he closes with saying, “Thoughts become things…choose good ones”.  This message is so simple, yet as in all truths; challenging to follow all the time. However, I am ready and willing to keep at it.

I wish everyone reading this good thoughts and good experiences! I love to hear from you so I welcome your thoughts.

You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

Happy Spring!

Karen

Karen & Family

Our first southern holiday!

Happy 2017 to all… from a numerology perspective it is a “1” year representing new beginnings.  If you have followed my blogs over the years, you know that I create my Intention Words for each year instead of typical New Year’s resolutions.  They inspire me to focus my thoughts and actions to create very real results.

I took time just before Christmas to go on a personal 2 day retreat at Grey Heron with Andrea Mathieson.  The retreat allowed me to step away from my office and home activities and focus completely on what the energy of this New Year was calling me to step into.  It was very insightful, nourishing and surprising.

Reviewing 2016 Words of Intention

My 2016 words were Explore, Plan and Create and as I review the year, they definitely showed up in so many ways.

Exploring brought me to the Simplicity Online Course, A Dundun workshop, joining a Course in Miracles group, meeting an amazing hang drum/flute musician and my husband and I co-owning a classic motor coach with another couple. A really big exploration was planned in 2016 and manifested the first week of 2017. Which was a first-ever family trip to a southern all-inclusive destination for my husband’s 60th birthday! Amazing!

Planning resulted in a fabulous year of Women’s Wellness Circles, a series of Enneagram workshops, a new organic mattress from Dormio Beds and finally a new office move in December.

I was able to Create a new Reiki Retreat with my reiki mastery initiate and use my creative juices to design the layout of my new office.

New Intention Words for 2017

The new expansive energy of 2017 is calling me to bring in Stillness, Recycle, Technology Flow and Fearless Living.  Here is what comes up around these words currently, though I know they may manifest in completely different forms as the year unfolds.

Stillness

I am realizing the value of stillness as I mature in my life. I have always been a person who wants to experience and be part of all that attracts me in life.  This can result in having a very full schedule and even if it involves everything I love – too much is still too much!  I intend to plan stillness into every day as well as 1-2 day get ways throughout the year.

Recycle

This refers to preparing for renovations at our home.  Room by room I would like to see what can move on to a new home and make room for new space and creative expression.  Simple but BIG!

Technology Flow

Oh my, I have dodged this one for many years.  Just ask my sons who bought me an iPod many Christmas’s ago that is still in my drawer not being enjoyed as I had envisioned. I am going to solicit help to get comfortable with the capabilities of my iPod, iPhone, Pod Casts, digital photobooks, video etc. Who knows where this may lead. LOL!

Finally, Fearless Living!

This was really inspired by a book I read on my holiday on my brand new Kobo entitled “Dying to be Me” by Anita Moorjani. A true story of Anita’s near death experience and the message she is sharing with the world.  It certainly spoke about so many things that I have heard, read and to a large degree, believe to be true, however it was the right synopsis and the right time that has really resonated deep within me. I do not know how this will manifest in the coming year and beyond however I do know I will keep open to exploring it in every way.

For those of you in this geographic area – Karen Strumos will be talking about the numerology of 2017 at this Thursday’s Women’s Wellness Circle in Sharon.

I have no doubt it will be a super amazing ride around the sun for 2017. So many of you shared this exercise last year and I hope you are moved to do the same this year. We are magnificent creators and we were made for these times.

What is calling you this year? I encourage you to share it.

It’s great to share and learn from each other. I would love to hear from you. You can connect with me by email or telephone, or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook too!

To our health & wellbeing,

Karen

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For the past couple of years, I have been listening to my inner urge to find new space to do my healing work.  Where I have been is wonderful and has served me perfectly for the past 11 years and I was ready for more.  More space, more possibility, and a place to make my own tea!

I kept my ears and eyes open and looked at few different spots but nothing was resonating. I realized how much I liked my current location. So if I was to stay there, the only space that provided more room and the flexibility I was looking for was a suite downstairs and it was occupied.  I knew from conversations with the business in there, they were also looking for another location that was bigger still for their whole operations. Read more

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A poem by Danna Faulds – Metamorphosis

“Called beyond the confines of this chrysalis by a force I cannot see or name, I am compelled by pain and something bigger than myself to leave the protection of all that I have known.

There is struggle, doubt, an awkward setting forth.  Finally I break free of the cocoon and find myself surrounded by air and light.

I dare to act, still not knowing what I am; instinct, or maybe faith bids me move forward, make the leap, explore this mystery of change and flight.

I find myself with wings that dwarf my former world. Unfurled, they dry quickly in the sun. I, who expected to spend my days crawling, now teach myself to soar.

Such a rush of wind and freedom – that first flight teaches me more that I had learned in a lifetime of crawling.”

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image courtesy of authenticdiscovery.com.au

I have been unable to ignore a message coming to me lately to share on my blog.  Hormone disruptors are a key component affecting our core health and the ability to keep our body strong.  I respect the research and work of The Environmental Working Group and as I reviewed their site, I found this wonderful blog post that I would like to share in its complete form with you. Read more

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What an incredible summer we are experiencing!  Somehow as we arrive at September, our world still changes cycles.  We are in the rich harvest time of our area with Farmers Markets loaded with produce and for those ambitious few who capture summer in a jar; it is a busy time. I love seeing the beautiful colours of summer filling my jars ready to provide nourishment throughout the winter months.  On my to-do list are peaches, chili sauce, apple sauce and beets.  Yum! Read more

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Being out of balance is a result of not paying attention to our needs, physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.  What is your wake-up call that brings you back to awareness?

Encouraging balance in life…

My tag line for Inside Out is “encouraging balance in life…” I chose this because it has been part of my journey and continues to require tuning in and presence.  I have identified some keys that bring me back to balance and the process just might work for you too. Read more

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I received a reflective writing from Caroline Myss in my inbox last week that struck a strong chord with me. The article was inspired by the Orlando massacre however she brought it to the level of the collective consciousness which we can also call the collective unconscious and that had me take a personal look.  If we are, at some level, one, then how am I being in my life?  Are there places in my life calling for more grace? Read more

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For those of you following my posts this year, you will have noticed a theme.  I embarked this year on expanding my awareness of healthy lifestyle choices that result in feeling more energized, happy and physically strong.  This inner pull was motivated by new hormonal shifts taking place in my body that created a feeling of not being in control. I felt exhausted, my digestion was sensitive, I got light heart palpitations at night and my natural exuberance for life was hard to connect to. This menopausal feeling mimicked my early months of pregnancy when I felt exhausted, nauseous and overly sensitive to food and smells. What I knew was – it wasn’t a happy place! Read more

Karen-&-Sadie

Our world was shaken up in a good way this past long weekend with the arrival of our new puppy Sadie. How one little bundle of love and joy requires an immediate shift in patterns is quite remarkable. We have had 3 dogs over our 30 year marriage though it’s been 1.5 years since we said good-bye to Tess, our lovely Bouvier.  I always missed having a four-legged companion but as the family is grown and we have busy lives, it just didn’t seem like the right time.  I would often find myself browsing websites of different non-shedding breeds like Bouviers, Portuguese Water dogs and Schnauzers to see what was available. And of course I would often dream about having one. Read more

Young happy woman enjoying fresh air in autumn, intentionally toned.

It’s something we take completely for granted – our breath; and yet it is one of the most powerful medicines we can utilize for so many benefits.  And, best of all, it’s FREE!  Being conscious of how we breathe can have many health benefits while, on the other hand, not being mindful of our breathing can affect us both physically and emotionally. Read more

Your reality is created by your thoughts

We don’t see the world as it is – we see the world as we are! Therefore our perceptions create our reality. This is one of the statements I use when introducing the powerful personality system I work with called the Enneagram.  The Enneagram brings ancient wisdom together with modern psychology to reveal 9 patterns of being in the world.  Though we all share a bit of each of the 9 types within us, one is deeply part of our personality from womb to tomb. Read more

motivational poster quote LIFE BEGINS AT THE END OF COMFORT ZONE

We have just gone through a deep freeze here in southern Ontario with a low Sunday of -26C.  What a time to step outside of my comfort zone and choose to incorporate cold showers into my morning routine!

It all started last March when I was reminded by a wise naturopathic doctor how healthy it is to finish a hot shower with a few minutes in a cold splash! Finishing a shower with a cold blast is also great for rinsing your hair after washing it. I began to do this regularly for quite some time and then somehow dropped the practice. Read more

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June 2012 Circle with Terri Segal, Elisha MacMillan and Shaw Percussion.

Happy 2016! Though every moment is a new beginning, there is heightened awareness of this as we enter a New Year. A fresh opportunity to welcome new adventures, new acquaintances, new thoughts and magical moments!  I am reminded by this quote that balance is also important and that we will also be letting go of what no longer serves us. Read more

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A couple of years ago I shared my own New Year’s tradition with you and it has been a popular topic so I am ready to update it for 2016. You see instead of making resolutions or goals, I take some time to tune into what I am feeling the energy of the New Year is bringing forth in me. I then pick 3 or 4 words that capture the essence of that energy to be my Intention Words for the coming year. Read more

Enneagram expert

I was commenting on a client’s beautiful red sweater this week and told her it was a very intuitive colour for her that day because she was feeling tired. As we were discussing this, I realized that the Christmas colours of red and green are symbolically very powerful. Humour me as I carry on…. Read more

biophoton therapist Newmarket

This Friday, The Green Connections Network will be hosting the documentary film entitled “Tapped ” at a local venue which reviews the bottled water industry. See here for details: We know that healthy water is linked to healthy bodies and yet the ability to sort through the studies and claims of current water products and technologies is daunting. Opportunities to come together to discuss can help answer some questions.

“Water plays many important roles within the body. Water is the major part of most of the body’s cells (except for fat cells) and it also cushions and lubricates the brain and the joints. It transports nutrients and carries waste away from the body cells. It also helps regulate body temperature by redistributing heat from active tissues to the skin and cooling the body through perspiration. Read more

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I receive numerous health newsletters, scientific findings and special interest updates on a regular basis. Sometimes one just hits a “pause” button in me and has me question a habit I have incorporated in my life. This time was around the hidden health costs of having beautiful nails. The headline was “Nail polish users exposed to chemical linked to paralysis and reproductive disorders”. I have used natural organic body and oral products and make up for years however throughout the summer months, I still add beautiful colour to my toe nails and often use clear polish on my finger nails. Oh dear, now that I am in that shifting menopausal time of life, I seem to be extra sensitive to chemicals which means I have new choices to make. Read more

East Gwillimbury Community

I am very passionate about the power of community so I hope to keep this post brief! I just attended our monthly East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting this week and the sponsor presenter was Neighborhood Network. I was not aware of this excellent local volunteer based organization and it had me reflect once again on the how much good is added to people’s lives when caring souls reach out! Read more

Munro Armstrong

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Here we are at the gates of September when life kicks back into high gear. Have you noticed the change in expectations on our time which plays havoc with life balance?

Whether you have children in school or not, life seems to jump into warp speed once September arrives at our door. I say ‘it seems to’ because we all know that time is a constant however depending on what we are doing, our experience of time can change drastically. If we are under a tight deadline to complete something, time seems to fly yet if we are sick in bed for a day unable to sleep due to discomfort then a day could drag on forever! There is a middle ground too. It happens when we are doing something we love and we’ll say we have no sense of what time it is and we don’t care.

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Marise Foster - click image to enlarge

Marise Foster – click image to enlarge

This year I have been focusing on building my well-being and spiritual practices. I have always had many interests and love to learn. One of the challenges this brings is that I have not been committed to a specific personal practice on a daily basis. After 5 months of making a commitment to myself to do a daily practice; I am realizing just how much it contributes to building my overall personal resilience. Read more

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Last fall I decided it was time to take action on one of my dream projects…my Fairy Garden. I know – you are thinking, what constitutes a Fairy Garden? I have 3 sons so I have had that question arise a time or two. My vision was to have a garden located outside my home office window that I could gaze out to when I was home working on the computer. It would be a place that invited nature to interact and I could watch and enjoy the happy scenery. It all started when I bought a wonderful bird house from our church talent auction that was made by one of our elders. I asked my husband to put it up outside my office window where I could watch the birds come and go. Read more

biophoton and reiki treatment newmarket

In keeping with my last blog, I will continue on the path of our bodies from a different angle. How our lifestyle choices directly affect our body. This is something I experience in my practice all the time so I got very excited when I read Lissa Rankine’s book, “Mind over Medicine “, as she brings scientific proof to this very concept. Here is an excerpt from her book: Read more

reiki master NewmarketAs I mused about what to share this week, a client came and told me about an article she has just read in a local publication. It was a letter written by a woman to her body and my client said I am going to put this letter where I can read it every day and remember how special my body is! She believed that it was likely many of us could relate to the essence of the message. I agree…it is a common theme. Here is the letter:

Dear Body, Read more

reiki master NewmarketIn my reiki classes and practice days I always have a beautiful beeswax pillar candle set in the middle of a table alter surrounded by crystals. We light it at the opening of our time together and extinguish it after our final prayer circle. I always felt that it provided more than a beautiful centerpiece and after listening to a networking colleague share his wisdom on the health benefits of pure beeswax, I understood why.  And since it is earth month, I thought I would share what I have learned. Read more

Green Connections network

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For those of you who follow my blog, you know that I value the ability we have to continually educate ourselves. It provides a better platform to make wise choices in our lives so that we create the outcomes we want. On that note, I would like to highlight the community film nights hosted by The Green Connections Network. Moving into our third season, these documentary style films have been a highlight of the community building activities of this great green group! Read more

Relationship Expert York RegionAll around the world, International Women’s Day represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality. Make It Happen is the 2015 theme for our internationalwomensday.com global hub, encouraging effective action for advancing and recognizing women.

Each year International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. The first International Women’s Day was held in 1911. Thousands of events occur to mark the economic, political and social achievements of women. Organizations, governments, charities, educational institutions, women’s groups, corporations and the media celebrate the day. Read more

How to Love YourselfA few years ago I wrote about “The Five Love Languages” as shared by author/speaker Gary Chapman. See post here. I have found the wisdom in this work to be most valuable in the past for my own inter-personal relationships. The interesting thing with life is that common issues can circle around and present themselves in new ways as the years unfold. And that is exactly what I realized last week as thoughts and conversations were focused on Valentine’s Day both with clients and in the media coverage.

Let me back up a wee bit. As each New Year begins, instead of resolutions, I have enjoyed coming up with 3-4 words that represent my high level intentions for the year ahead. This year my words are: Read more

biophoton light therapist york regionEvery year I purchase science and discovery type magazines for my family to read over the Christmas holidays and this year was no exception. An article entitled “Could this Apple Poison Me?” in the Ideas & Discoveries magazine really caught all of our attention.  Education allows us to make informed choices and so I would like to share some of the highlights of this article about imported poisons in our food and the hidden health hazards, with you.

We import over 4 billion pounds of food from China every year at unbeatable prices however we are paying a hidden price in our health. No other country exports food that contains so many toxic substances as China does including lead, aluminum, hepatitis A virus, DDT, glyphosate and formaldehyde just to name a few. Read more

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The last week of November, our presenter for the York Region Women’s Circle was Donna Smith-Montcreiffe who shared first hand with us the research she has just completed for her upcoming book to be released in March 2015 on Energy or Alternative Healing. We had an incredible evening that stretched our thinking of healing and of the whole human experience. Donna focused on 3 main areas for the evening which included past-life regression, alternative healing and out of body experiences. She read a case study for each of these areas after talking about some of her travels to meet healers and the corresponding healing sessions she had the opportunity to observe. Read more

supporting the immune systemI participated on a panel of experts at the recent Annual Richmond Hill Library Health Fair with 7 other incredible practitioners. We were given the opportunity to introduce our specific health modalities and then the moderator guided us through a few questions pertinent to the season. It was a wonderful experience to realize how unified we were on our overall principals AND the different perspectives we brought to the table that served the whole spectrum of well-being. A super important focus for this time of year was being asked to give our 1 unique tip for supporting a healthy immune system. Here are 8 ways from the list of experts. (I hope I remember them correctly!)

Angela Dacey:  Bring the colour RED into your life. Red is for physical and sexual energy and passion. It is stimulating and energizing, therefore it is helpful for tiredness and lethargy, to stimulate low blood pressure, to boost sluggish circulation. Red helps build up our confidence so we can be more comfortable with our body. Read more

fearI just facilitated a workshop on the topic of FEAR – something that we all deal with in varying degrees for most of our lives. We are born with only two instinctual fears, that of falling and loud noises. All others are learned. This does not mean they are not real, just that they are learned from life experience. This is a huge topic and I intend to just touch on a few valuable tips to keep fear in check. Fear can be paralyzing. If given the power, fear will prevent us from doing and having things in our lives that we say we want.

Fear is not a bad thing; it keeps us aware of potential negative or dangerous situations. However, because they are learned, they become registered in our minds as thoughts. Thoughts are energy AND “Where thoughts go – Energy follows! Our bodies do not know the difference between thoughts that are from real and present danger or if they are assumed. This is where the acronym, False Evidence Appearing Real comes from. Most of our fears are learned and originate then from our thoughts. Our negative emotions are triggered and our bodies respond. Read more

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It has been a rather interesting weather pattern here this year and October arrived with one of the best weeks we have had in the past couple of months! Warm, sunny and colourful! I love taking advantage of the fall season – the time of year when the magic of Mother Nature explodes in full colour teasing us with a taste of the cool weather that is coming over night but warming up through the day. It’s a time of dressing in layers and being prepared for the shifts of temperature that happen throughout the day. Read more

organycWhat? Toxins in feminine hygiene products, what am I talking about?! This blog is sensitive and yet very important for me to share with my readers. This year has brought me up close and personal with some of the very issues that one of my networking groups is so passionate about; educating the public on current practices and statistics that affect the health and well-being of people and the planet. The last film to be viewed was entitled, “Unacceptable Levels” which exposed the toxic chemical load in many products that we use every day (View trailer here). Read more

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I just spent the most amazing weekend in the woods out in the Hockley Valley; an event hosted by Visions in the Woods proprietor Deborah Kolody and a team of incredible leaders.

It was an outdoor event literally in the beautiful woods of Hockley with many vendors sharing their gifts and services with each other and the participants. The theme was experiencing the elements of water, fire, wind, earth and storm and I must say they were present at every level. Read more

Red-tailed Hawk This past month we have experienced some wild weather patterns in southern Ontario and it was on one of those thunderstorm days that a Red Tailed Hawk shared a message with me and my friend.

We were waffling about whether to head out for our scheduled 5pm Nordic pole walk as the skies were quite ominous however; we changed locations and decided to give it a try. Leaving from my place on a rural road, we head out for a quick walk and chat before beginning the evening supper activities. The winds were quite strong which gave a sense of anticipation. My attention was drawn above to a beautiful hawk circling above…how I love to watch the birds of prey as they are on the lookout for their next catch. As we moved along, I noticed that the hawk was now about 200 meters ahead of us and just hovering in the sky on the north side of the roadway. Read more

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For the past few years I have added the joy of keeping a small vegetable garden for our family’s enjoyment. Though we are in the heart of the fertile Holland Marsh, nothing compares to the opportunity to go out your back door and pick your own freshly grown and nurtured veggies to accompany any meal.

Though we are on a country property with lots of wildlife around, my first year was clear sailing without even having a fence protecting the space. I did grow marigolds around the perimeter which gave happy colour all summer and seemed to distract curious four legged nibblers.

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Ho’oponopono is a Hawaiian healing tradition that “undoes” the threads that cause disharmony in our lives. It involves using statements with a lot of historical power on their own, but, when your conscious intention is behind it, without guilt or shame or fear, it is an extremely powerful tool of change!

This past weekend a friend and I co-hosted a wonderful workshop to learn the art of Ho’oponopono with Krow Fischer from Here on Earth. Over the past year, I have been really looking at and releasing some old patterns that were no longer serving me in my life as many of my friends and clients alike have been doing. We all learn in different ways and though I read many books and listen to many CD’s etc., my best way to integrate learnings are through experiential work. I had read a book this spring on Ho’oponopono, the Hawaiian art of love and forgiveness which was very intriguing. To my delight, I found out that Krow Fischer was leading workshops for this after studying with Harry & Sila Jim, Traditional Hawaiian Kahuna’s. The art of attraction in action!

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kiboMany of my clients ask me what I use for skin care and make-up as we begin to realize how many chemicals are in the favourite products that we use every day from deodorant to shampoo and this time of year; sunscreen! It’s a fabulous question and one that I continue to learn more about every day. Being fair skinned, I have used face make-up since I was a young teenager and I realize that my body was exposed to harsh chemicals for years. I trust that my body is always ready to spring back and respond to healthy changes and so today I have a completely different approach with that of organic skin care.

I have a number of local favourites that I use which I am happy to share here along with a couple of great websites for further information. It started with the EWG who provide a wealth of research on product contents and my new find, The Health & Beauty World.

Here is a list of ingredients to avoid in your skin care from the Health & Beauty World website: Read more

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It is such a gift to be part of local networking groups which expose me to incredible people. Yesterday’s BWNA joint meeting held at Pathways to Perennials in King Township was no exception. We were fortunate to have a dynamic and passionate speaker, Donna Tranquada representing Food & Water First to share with us her personal journey over the past 3 years about saving our agricultural lands.

Donna lives and works in downtown Toronto however she and her husband own a farm property in Melancthon Township just west of Mulmur Township in Dufferin County. For those of you familiar with the area, you will know a great grass roots movement took place to stop the development of a mega quarry in this prime agricultural and precious water landmass. Thousands of citizens came together to uncover the truth of what was planned for the area and organized their efforts to educate Ontarians including the politicians on what repercussions would result for the invaluable water and food supply of the area. The process was a success and the mega quarry has been halted for now.

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Biophoton Treatment York RegionI watched the evening news one day last week and was saddened to see a story on vaccines that reported parents were not being responsible if they chose not to vaccinate their children.  The report was explaining that there is a rise in childhood illnesses like measles because of the parents who are making the choice not to vaccinate.

There are thousands of reports supporting each side of the vaccine debate with Government bodies and Medical establishments providing the research to support vaccinations and other medical professionals and human interest groups like Think Twice Global Vaccine Institute providing research on the dangers involved with vaccinations.

I personally believe this is part of a much larger issue facing health and wellbeing in our world. The environmental toxins present in today’s lifestyle are taxing our immune systems so that we have less ability to deal with normal childhood illnesses. Right up there with the environmental toxic overload is the typical sugar laden, processed and genetically modified food diets that we live on and provide to our children. I cannot forget to add in the bombardment of electro-magnetic frequencies from all the wireless technology that permeates our society.  After this we can add the stress levels experienced by families working to just keep up with the responsibilities that they carry which depletes them of their “Joy”.  It is a challenging picture indeed.

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Staying positiveI was asked by a colleague yesterday “How do we stay positive when the negativity creeps in?” Here in southern Ontario as with many other regions in Canada and the northeastern states, we are still in winter weather conditions. Last night we experienced -15 and though it has warmed up a bit today, the snow flurries have arrived. Even the winter enthusiasts are waning and looking forward to warmer spring conditions. The top world news stories do not paint a beautiful picture of peace and the astrological shifts are definitely stirring up the status quo. So, the question is a really great one and I thought I would share some of my thoughts on it here. Of course I am hoping that it will encourage others to share their strategies and tips as well. Below are 6 tips to staying positive.

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At our February Women’s Wellness Circle, Charles Brand of Appealing Environments, entitled his presentation to us as “Crystal Enlightenment”.  He reminded us that as we are moving into the Age of Aquarius that we are actually raising the vibration of our bodies and shared with us a way to support this process with crystals.  So how can we raise our vibration and how does it have anything to do with crystals like quartz and amethyst?  Well, Charles talked about how our bodies are a carbon base and carbon is close on the periodic table to silicon or Sand. We had the opportunity to look at “Sand” in a whole new way and explore our own “Self” in the process.

Quartz Crystals, Amethyst and Citrine are made up of Silicon dioxide (SiO2). Silicon Dioxide is the most abundant compound in the earth’s crust.  It exists as quartz crystal, amethyst, agate, flint, jasper, opal and commonly known SAND. As we are moving into the Age of Aquarius – I reference the writing of another researcher who speaks of this topic in his work.

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It is Valentine’s week so it feels very timely to be answering a question that was sent in from a Type 5 reader asking, “How do I stay connected with my emotions and not detach when it is important to do so?  Please review my overview blog on Type 5 for background.  I decided to reach out to my panel of experts…the Type 5s in my life for their input to this question.  Needless to say, it was not an easy response for the majority of them, which is why this question is so powerful.

Type 5s are in the Thinking Triad and identify powerfully with; “A sense of being a detached, outside observer of the world – not part of it. They resist recognizing physical presence and state, feelings and needs, from the book “The Wisdom of the Enneagram”. Read more

Living healthyI had the opportunity to appear on Rogers Daytime TV this morning as part of the Green Connections Networking group I belong to. I wanted to link being healthy with being green and sustainable.  I have been part of this great green group for over a year now and am so impressed with the personal conviction that each of us shares towards living in a more sustainable way, no matter what our business segment is. I have noticed that people who take care of themselves also have a higher propensity to make greener choices overall in life. I prepared a multiple choice fact sheet to work with for the interview segment that I believe might be of interest to you as readers.  I have highlighted the correct answer.

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Women's CircleHappy 2014! It is vividly cold for us here in Southern Ontario yet the sun is shining and that combination makes me feel very alive!  I am reminded that I always find myself feeling this alive and connected at the close of each month’s Women’s Circle. The Power of the Circle never ceases to amaze me – there is a foundational peace that resides when a group of like-minded people gather together in circle.

Founded 10 years ago by Jill Hewlett, the York Region Women’s Circle has been meeting monthly at various locations, bringing a diverse yet connected group of women together to share, learn, experience and laugh. I began hosting the summer outdoor circles at our beautiful acreage in Holland Landing many years ago and soon joined to co-host throughout the year. We now offer two locations every month with Jill hosting a Toronto location and I carrying forward the York Region group.

Every month we feature a different presenter to share their journey and talents.  It is experiential, nurturing and oh so much fun! Every month has first time attendees and those who rarely miss.  New friendships are made and new ideas germinated that bring women to something they never thought of before. There is an uplifting that is so valuable in our busy lives. When we participate in the circle, we find our power increase exponentially like a drop of water rippling on the surface of a pond.  There is power in numbers and when the commitment is made by many to come together in a circle to focus attention and joy, the circle emanates ripples of energy that can change the world.

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2013 - Hawaii 2 139aThis is a follow up to my last post where I shared that I had just returned from a beautiful trip to Hawaii and now I would like to expand upon “The Spirit of Aloha”.  As we move into the holiday time of year, we are inundated with the marketing of the season luring us to buy a multitude of material things yet the deeper meaning includes gratitude, reflection, giving and acknowledgement of our blessings. I found this passage describing the deeper meaning of Aloha and it once again struck me how we are all unified at the core of our roots.

THE DEEPER MEANING OF ALOHA
by Curby Rule

For those who follow the path of Huna, or are fortunate enough to live in Hawai’i, it is common for us to use the word Aloha. We use it in greetings and farewells and in expressing love. But the word means even more; it is a way of life.

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Hawaii

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My husband and I just returned from a beautiful holiday in Hawaii where we toured around Oahu for a couple of days and then flew to Maui to live in a beach house shared with 2 other couples for 10 days.  It could not have been a more perfect holiday; with ideal weather, vistas to fill every sense, excursions to expand our knowledge and our athletic skills and good friends to laugh and share it all with. We certainly made some plans for the top activities we wanted to experience and the rest of the time we allowed the day to unfold by tuning into what felt good. I chose to be completely “off” of work mode and completely “on” enjoying the time with my husband and friends.  I arrived back on Friday and still had no idea what I wanted to share next in my blog.  As I was catching up on the inbox…I came across this wonderful article in a Hay House e-mail about 10 ways to live happy and was reminded how much I enjoyed Lissa’s book.  Enough so, that I have given it to clients and friends this year. It is a perfect segway for keeping a little Island feel inside as I live each day!

10 Ways to Live Happy for 100 Years

man_1125In her public television special Heal Yourself: Mind Over Medicine, Dr. Lissa Rankin shares a story of Stamatis Moraitis. (The New York Times featured him in a recent article called “The Island Where People Forget to Die.”)

Stamatis Moraitis was a WWII veteran from Greece who came to the U.S. to get treatment for his arm that was mangled in combat. He wound up settling in Boynton Beach, Florida where he married a Greek-American woman, had three children, had a good job in manual labor, bought a three-bedroom house and a 1951 Chevrolet.

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Karen Armstrong - Reiki Master Newmarket

Last weekend I taught a Reiki Level 2 certification class. It was a joyful experience in so many ways.  As we sat down to lunch, one of my students commented that he didn’t know what he looked forward to more, the teachings or the yummy home-made lunch!  He even suggested that I start a new blog entitled “Reiki in the Kitchen!”  Well, I chose to start out with a single blog on this topic because it really did speak to me on the capacity of bringing the healing power of reiki to whatever we do.

I love to cook and prepare meals that nourish our soul and to sit at a table with others to share just adds more joy to the whole event!  When we spend time at the reiki training to open our heart and learn the sacred teachings of the Usui natural healing system, it only seems to fit that we also take time to nourish our bodies with healthful food to support the day.  I love to take time looking through my cook book collection to find just the right dishes to share for the time of year. I tend to focus around a soup dish and this past weekend was no exception.  I chose a recipe from Julie Daniluk’s book entitled “Meals that Heal Inflammation” called Ginger Butternut Soup. I will share the recipe below.  Served along with a salad of fresh baby greens, basmati rice and bread, it warmed our bellies and prepared us for the afternoon session.

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GoingWithTheFlowHave you been noticing the shifts lately?  You know the ones that are bringing up old stuff that are calling to be released!  Planetary influences are all about “releasing what no longer serves us” so I have been noticing with many clients and in my own life opportunities to release and to transform our thoughts and perceptions.  I took my reiki mastery training with Dean Noblett and Rebecca Couch of Heartlight in Schomberg.  Rebecca is an excellent writer and she posted this piece on Spirit Library that fits perfectly for the energies taking place right now. Here are some things to remember when the shift hits the fan!

Dean & RebeccaProcess Your Emotions Honestly Feeling makes you human. Allow your emotions to express themselves within you truthfully. Just be with them as they arise, because you have a right to feel however you do. Stay with them until you can name them – but don’t get stuck in them and don’t hurt yourself or anyone else with them! You are not your emotions; you are oh-so-much more.

Breathe and know that all is well.

Remain Calm and Carry On Just like any emergency situation, you can think and respond better when you are calm. Remember that there is great power and balance in neutrality. Don’t take anything personally. Be the neutral, objective watcher as much as possible. Have courage, and keep on keeping on…there are great insights ahead. Always put the oxygen mask on yourself first.

Breathe and know that all is well.

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Cultural CreativesCultural Creatives are a growing segment of the Western population transforming mainstream culture.  Driven by their holistic values, integrated worldview and ability to synthesize vast amounts of information with an inner vision (insight) of wholeness, Cultural Creatives are in the author’s words, an “emerging wisdom culture”.

This was the opening of an article I happened to find in the latest Pathways to Family Wellness magazine that I get at Foster Family Chiropractic. I was very taken by what author Paul H. Ray, a social scientist had to share from his years of research about this group of people.  I related it to my life and to the groups that I am part of and realized that this brought more insight into the reasons why I am drawn to being part of or coordinating these groups. As I was preparing for a talk at one of them, the Green Connections Networking Group, I found the synchronicity of this article beautiful. Let me share a few highlights of what the article covered. Read more

patterns“Old age merely reveals all the problems the person has failed to solve in his life.” Luis Martins Simoes

Have you watched the commercial on TV recently that plays out 2 scenarios of the how the last 10 years of life could look?  One shows a man aging with grace and vibrancy and the other shows him deteriorating slowly but surely until no light is left in his system.  This is very real!  Our body is sharing with us every day how it is doing and what is out of balance calling for attention.  I have spoken numerous times around this idea.  That is why this quote above so spoke to me and I carried on reading further the insights of Luis in his research.

He looks at the emotional connection to various ailments that we experience in life and I will share one with you as an example.  We often hear the saying that a symptom is age related and a very common “age related” issue is eye sight. Here is what Luis shares about aging eyes. Read more

Harbour Breezes Nova Scotia

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My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful trip to Nova Scotia where we visited with friends in Musquodoboit Harbour on the Eastern Shore about 45 minutes from Halifax. While there we toured an incredible garden property called Harbour Breezes where owners Allan and Shane have created a visionary wonderland. I wanted to share this story with you because I was so moved by what I experienced walking these gardens and listening to the story of its “becoming”.  It truly is a “Vision in Action”.

The property was purchased in 2004 and opened to the public in 2006. Its location is ideal being right on the well traveled Hwy. #7 along the Eastern Shore at Jeddore Harbour with a south facing view of the water. From the humble home at the road, the property goes straight uphill behind.  The land is rough, covered in large rocks, trees and native scrub brush. As the story unfolded, we learned that every year Allan gave his creative dreams permission to grow with lots of hard work and research and determination. The core lines of products are Day Lilies and they currently have over 750 varieties with new ones being added every year.

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L – Life

I – Onmipresent

V – Victoriously

E – Expressed

By “life omnipresent”, I mean that life is present in all things.  It is not only in human beings, but in animals, trees, rocks – in every living thing, every object. Even a table is composed of the same energy that we are. It is part of the interrelated whole. It has function and is going through it’s own transformational process.  The same is true of the 75 million cells that make up the human body, and of every particle in each of those cells.  Not a single one is exactly like another, and each has it’s own destiny.  If we can accept this truth, perhaps we can learn to stop judging other things and other beings by limited human or cultural standards.  That would be a great advance, for it is judging that holds us back from giving and receiving unconditional love.

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transitional shiftingThere is one constant in this universe and that is change!  We tend to create stress in our lives when we are constantly looking for stability, defined as “no changes”.  We can definitely create stability however it looks different.  It is an inner state rather than an outer state. And with so many of my clients feeling the effects of change and transition very intensely right now, my attention was peaked while reading the latest issue of PATHWAYS to family wellness magazine.  I would like to share a portion of one of the articles here with you entitled “Why and How we Shift”.

IONS (Institute for Noetic Sciences) did a 10 year project looking at consciousness transformation. And we looked at the catalysts that shift someone. It can be anything…people describe something as mundane as washing dishes, or as in the case of Edgar Mitchell, as profound as coming back from the moon, that would allow a moment of reflection to say, “Wow! I just feel there is something more here.” It could be the death of a loved one or the loss of a job, a divorce…all of these can be helpful to disrupt our current state.  It’s really beautiful when we can move our conversation about something that is traumatic into something that can help us grow and evolve, because that’s the worldview shift. It’s how we define the situation.  One person can see it one way and another person can see it another way.  It is how we can begin to own the power of the interpretation of the experience.

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bigstock-Raging-kids--children-shoutin-30047846This topic has come about so frequently with clients and in my own life over the past few weeks that it felt like a great topic to write about.  This subject of mirroring is not a simple process to understand however it can be very powerful.  In the big picture, I always say that “we do not see the world as it is, we see the world as we are!”  This means that we interpret our outer experiences from the perspective that we hold at any given time.  If we wake up one morning over-tired and not in a great mood, the experiences of our day seem to reflect that mood that we hold!  As Abraham would say:, “The worse it gets, the worse it gets!!”  Thankfully, the opposite is true too:, “The better it gets, the better it gets! Read more

LoveWhatYouDoI recently received a comment from a reader on my Enneagram Type Nine blog: that went like:

“Thanks for your really helpful comments, which I wish I could instantly digest and do something about! Would be interested in your thoughts on type 9s identifying their passion which I know is a problem for them.”

So I answered him back with my thoughts but also advised that I would check in with my expert panel themselves, the Type Nines, to see what insight could be gleaned.  Well – it was a beautiful experience and I believe great information for the Nine in all of us.  Here is a summary of the responses that I received.

You have to push yourself, take risks, get out of your comfort zone, try something new and give yourself permission to do something that may make you stand out and may not be what everyone expects of you.  If you haven’t found your passion in the world that you have created for yourself you have to venture out further to find it.  I think usually fear is what holds us back from reaching for the next level and challenging ourselves; fear of failing, fear of making a mistake, fear of being judged, fear of being noticed, fear of disappointing someone … and maybe even fear of success.  I have discovered that the only thing you should fear is standing still and not growing.”

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emotional intelligenceBack in 1995 a new best seller hit the bookstores called “Emotional Intelligence”, by Daniel Goleman and the impact it had on my business career was significant.  I recall reading this book and feeling such a resonance with the material like there was finally scientifical proof to so much of what I instinctually knew to be true.  I ended up becoming certified in giving the EI assessment and from there was introduced to an incredible tool for developing our emotional intelligence called the Enneagram!

To this day, I believe that how well we handle our daily interactions and life stresses are based more on how developed our emotional intelligence skills are than anything else. In fact when we are not processing our emotions effectively; it creates the opportunity for energy imbalances to manifest and these show up as dis-ease symptoms in the body. Yes – I believe that every physical symptom in the body first originated at the emotional level.

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2013 - Hawaii 2 307aTo continue along the same vein as my last post about taking personal responsibility, I found this passage in a wonderful book entitled, “It’s not what you eat, it’s what eats you.” by Jack Schwarz. And in this blog post, we’ll explore the barriers we have in life and how to overcome them by letting our own self-expression flow.

“Too often we set our potentials aside and put our desires on hold for someone else’s apparent sake. We create conflicts which don’t need to exist, either an inner conflict of, Should I or Shouldn’t I? or an attempt to justify our lack of expression because of what others expect of us.  Too often we create a time schedule by which self-expression, if it comes at all, can come only after we have fulfilled all social expectations, only to find that those never end.  We need to know what to do now, and then do it, in spite of everything else.  Spontaneity is not easy, especially for those of us who have family or obligations incurred by other structured situations.  Expectations repress natural spontaneity.

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taking responsibilityIs what you are experiencing in your life what you want it to be?  We all want to put responsibility on outside influences for things that are causing us stress, challenge and discomfort, but that is so limiting.  The most powerful stance we can take is one of personal responsibility because then there is hope for change. This is definitely not implying blame and guilt, far from it.  We only know what we know and we are generally making choices in each moment based on that!  So – the opportunities are endless if we come from a position of personal responsibility.

“We don’t see the world as it is, we see the world as we are.”

We are incredible beings with such inner resources to interact with the world around us and our bodies do an amazing job of trying to keep up with what we put them through every day.  Sometimes though, it just feels like we don’t have enough to get through whatever is going on.  Many of us live in an exhausted state, with commitments pulling from every direction and a feeling that there is no time for ourselves.  This is not an empowering feeling and the body will find a way to let us know that we are not in balance!  Whether we experience headaches, tension aches, digestive issues, insomnia, high blood pressure, anxiety; the list is endless; it is the bodies messaging system at work.

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effects of EMFsHere is a personal account of how Electro Magnetic Frequencies (EMF) have affected our family.  I found myself sharing with a client yesterday, the journey our family went through to discover what the root cause of my husband’s discomfort was a few years back and decided it might be relevant to share it here with you.

What started out as a relatively annoying sporadic skin rash some 30 years ago started becoming a regular issue around 2005.  The normal protocol from the medical field was to treat the sporadic outbreak with cortisone cream, however the more I learned about the negative side effects of this cream, I encouraged my husband not to use it.  We would try other natural options, but one day the issue got so bad, he said that he needed to get to the bottom of it.  We sought the help of an Iridologist, Naturopath and finally got to a TCM Doctor who specialized in acupuncture.  That brought a complete detoxification of his system and gradually strengthened it do a better place than he had been for years however – symptoms would still appear every once in a while.

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I recently attended a phenomenal weekend workshop with Helen Palmer and Terry Seracino entitled “Observing the Hidden Barriers in Relationships”.  It focused on the Enneagram personality system and specifically the three subtypes that play out in our relationships. The weekend was rich in exercises, witnessing and experiencing how these inner habits of focus can play out within our interactions.  I thought some of you may be curious to learn a bit about these subtypes; so here we go.

“Our conditioned Enneagram type structure is defined by a pattern of thought supported by an emotional habit (historically called the passion of the heart) which plays out in three critical behaviours called Subtypes that affect our relationships as well as how we spend our time and energy.”

These three subtypes can also be referred to as instinctual energy and I will give a brief overview here taken from the notes of the weekend workshop.

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Chakra System

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Continuing from my previous posts Understanding Vibrational Medicine, and Understanding Vibrational Medicine – Acupuncture- Meridian System, in this final post of this series, I will focus on a basic outline of another of the body’s “Life Energy systems” which we refer to as the Chakra System.

We have discussed how a balanced flow of chi energy through the acupuncture-meridian system is crucial to achieving health; but the chi flow through the meridians is only one of the many human subtle-energy systems that must be in balance in order to maintain health.  Blockages in the flow of subtle energy through the chakra system can be an equally important contributor to dis-ease. In the yogic tradition, the chakras are said to function as emotional and spiritual energy transducers.  They take the prana, the subtle nutritive life energy component of sunlight.  Although chi and prana are life energies, prana is a distinctive and different form of life energy from chi.  The seven major chakras absorb and distribute prana to various organs and tissues of the body.  It seems anything that causes a blockage or disturbance in the flow of subtle energy through one or more chakras can also lead to the development of illness in the body. One of the most important causes of chakra blockage is chronic emotional stress and emotional energy imbalance.  Just as physical toxins can produce illness, emotional toxins can poison the spiritual as well as the physical bodies in various subtle ways. Chronic anger, hatred, bitterness, greed, hopelessness, loneliness and depression may lead to illness, because these negative emotions create chakra imbalances that shut down the flow of pranic life energy to our body’s vital organs.

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meridianflowchart

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Continuing from the last post, Understanding Vibrational Medicine, in this blog, I would like to cover the basic outline of one of the bodies “Life-energy systems” which we refer to as the Acupuncture-Meridian System.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body has a distribution network that creates a highway for three essential substances to flow throughout the body. This distribution network called the Meridian System looks like a giant web, linking different areas of our body together. Its pathways make up a comprehensive yet complex body map that supplies vital energy to every part of the body. Philosophically, the Meridian System explains how we live, and why we become sick.

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EnergyHappy 2013 to all!!  As we move fully into this new year and new beginnings, what energy do you feel it holds for you?  I typically begin my new year not with resolutions but a few words or phrases that hold a feeling of what I want to invite into my year ahead.

Last year my words were; Clarity, Focus and Expansion and it definitely was the overall feel of my year.  I added the Biophoton Light Therapy to my practice with a certification course led by Paul McDonald of Meridian Energies in Clarksburg which was an expansion in many ways for me. I began the year with a 10 weeks Holistic Nutrition course with Shawn Nisbet and an 8 week early morning Yoga Challenge with Corrine Penstone at Yoga Source.  I also nurtured my spiritual journey with a program called Tending My Soul Garden with Andrea Mathieson of Raven Essences.  It was a focused and big learning year.

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new-beginningsWell – here we are 1 week before Christmas day and 2 weeks left in 2012!   I know you may be fully engulfed in preparing for the activities that are abundant right now so what am I doing talking about “preparing for new beginnings”?

This is a new beginning time for me every year because I happen to have my birthday in December.  I seem to be drawn to completing unfinished projects before my birthday and to begin thinking about my next year.  The other pattern for me in December is to give my home a thorough cleaning before I put up any Christmas decorations.  The thought of adding beauty to clutter just feels like adding clutter to clutter.

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As we enter into the final weeks towards our Christmas season, it is inevitable that we will be stretched dealing with a multitude of expectations and relationship challenges that often accompany this time of year. I found myself reflecting on this set of commandments written by Kent M. Keith in a book of the same title. “Do it Anyway; The handbook for finding happiness in a crazy world.”  Let me share it with you here.

Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments.

1. People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

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I am awesome! Yes – I just wrote that statement, a humble Canadian!  It has taken a lot of practice, let me tell you.  It appears that we Canadians have a reputation for not being able to acknowledge our greatness – we are just fantastic at acknowledging other peoples greatness!  You see, the real eye opener took place about 3 weeks ago when I was at chorus rehearsal.  It was the week before leaving for our International competition in Denver, Colorado and we were tweaking our performance package with the unbelievably amazing Erin Howden, our choreographer.  Half way through the night after almost standing on her head to get a point across about how much we needed to transcend the footlights with our expression and energy – she asked us to do a little exercise.

She asked each of us to turn to the chorus members standing around us and tell them how awesome they were.  Well – that was effortless, it came with complete sincerity and lots of energy.  Once we calmed down she said, ok, now turn to the chorus members around you and tell them how awesome you are!  Oh my goodness – that was a whole different ball game.  It did not flow effortlessly or with sincerity or lots of energy…in fact it was rather awkward!  I even witnessed a fellow chorus member stick her finger in her mouth and make a gagging motion after she said this to her riser buddy.  We obviously had some work to do.  Did it mean we didn’t think we were good enough to go after the Gold medal in Denver?  No it didn’t.  However it might have impacted how our attitude would come across on stage.  It was not a time and place to be “nice polite Canadians”!   So the next part of the exercise (because it was not over yet)….was to imagine we were one of our Sweet Adeline idles and once we took on the persona of how we believed they would handle this situation – we again approached the riser gals around us and shared the message with them that we in fact were Awesome!!  It worked!  And you can bet that that became an exercise we did every practice until we stood on International stage to perform our package.  And you know what?  It really did get easier and I would say that something shifted because along with all the other preparations we did, our time on stage for the semi-finals was incredible and we came off feeling like we executed our plan!

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I recently attended a family funeral service and once again was so touched by the stories that are shared during this poignant and reflective time.  I have often come away from a service thinking that there was so much about the person that I didn’t know.  We are all so rich with life experience, so unique in our way of being and we touch others in our life in many different ways. One of the powerful messages that always surfaces is a sense of gratitude for the interactions we have had with the person being honoured. It is a real gift when we have had the opportunity to share our heartfelt feelings with them before they pass as it allows for more peace.  It sometimes gets phrased that there is no business left undone.

I found myself reflecting once more on the power of gratitude in our lives and specifically of acknowledging the gifts we receive from others in our lives.  There are special holidays throughout the year that remind us to think about those that make a difference for us such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries and we just had a significant one with Thanksgiving!  Our family has often gathered for the Thanksgiving meal and shared around the table something that we are thankful for in our lives.  Some participants may roll their eyes and wish this part of the meal would just pass by however I am quite certain that once the circle of sharing is complete, there is a different vibration opened up around the table.  Our heart centre which I spoke of in 2 previous blogs; The Intelligence of the Heart, and The Intelligence of the Heart – Part 2, has been activated and the strength of that loving signal expands and brings more light and true happiness into the room.

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I am following up on my Aug. 8th blog on reflections from the book “The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in Direct Perception of Nature” by Stephen Harrod Buhner.  As the title suggests, the book carries on from where I left off to offering ways to learn about the plant world around us and how to tap into the wisdom and healing properties available to us through them.

The same principles are relevant when discovering the deeper messages of our bodies.  To learn about something, you must spend time with it.  Just as we do naturally with personal relationships, we cultivate them over time.  Anyone who has a pet will know how powerful the nonverbal communication can be.  We get to know the nuances and movements and looks of our pets and what they mean.

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I was speaking at a Women’s Conference last week about Work/Life Balance and one of the points that was raised more than once was, “I know what I should be doing, it’s just that I don’t do it!  Which is then followed by reasons such as life is too busy, I don’t know where to find the time or I just don’t know WHY I don’t do it! So how then do we live the tenets of wellness?

Right on queue, the universe provided a perfect resource to give some advice for those us who know what to do and don’t do it consistently. I was at my chiropractor’s office where I really enjoy reading a magazine they distribute called “Pathways to Family Wellness”, and this perfect article was in the current issue. So, I am going to interrupt the planned part 2 of my last blog and insert this timely article.  Please watch for the part 2 to Heart Intelligence for next time. Here is the first section of the article followed by a link to read the full article if you are interested.

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I am reading a fabulous book right now entitled “The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in Direct Perception of Nature” by Stephen Harrod Buhner.  This may take 2 blogs to complete, however I am interested in sharing my experience of this book with you.

The majority of modern peoples, if asked to find the place within their body where the unique self resides, would say that they live about an inch above their eyebrows and about two inches into the skull.  But most indigenous and historical peoples would locate the self someplace very different.  They would gesture in the region of the heart. For most of our history of habitation on Earth, that is where the seat of intelligence, the seat of the soul, was located.

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Have you ever found yourself saying something like; I’ve been working so hard that when I finally get some time off, all I want to do is sleep.  Or – now that I have made enough money to do some traveling, my health isn’t going to support it. It’s not like our bodies haven’t been trying to give us signals before we are exhausted or our health is challenged – the trouble is we have learned to stop listening. I know that I am no exception to this and realize that is the reason my work is centered around connecting to the communication of our body, emotions and inner voice.

Some of you reading this blog post may have noticed the quote I have after my e-mail signature that goes like this:

“The standard of success in life isn’t the things. It isn’t the money or the stuff. It is absolutely the amount of joy that you feel.”  — Abraham

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Last Thursday was the first outdoor Women’s Wellness Circle in Holland Landing for the 2012 season co-hosted by my friend and colleague Jill Hewlett and myself.  Mother Nature blessed us with a perfect evening to be outside enjoying the beauty of our surroundings, the fire, the comradery and our incredible presenters!  Terri Segal of Rhythmic by Nature and Elisha MacMillan, sociologist and dance educator led us through African dancing and drumming with lots of Jambi’s provided by Shaw Percussion of Sutton!  We had close to 40 women attend ranging in age from their 20’s to 70’s with joy experienced by all!

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I recently was questioned by one of my sons as to why we don’t use toothpaste with fluoride.  He said, “I know you have told me it’s not good, but why isn’t it”?  Great question and a great wake-up call for me.  As my sons are all young adults now, they are fully capable of making their own health decisions once armed with the knowledge.  So, I pulled out my health file and shared a couple of articles and references with him and said – you get to choose whether you want a fluoride toothpaste or not. Here is a link to the Fluoride Network if you would like more information.

When we are ready to make important decisions, we usually open up to learn more about the area of concern or ask a trusted advisor so that we make educated choices.  When it comes to our health – there are many answers and rightly so because everyone has their own take on a particular topic.  The bottom line comes down to doing our homework and trusting our own inner guidance on what feels right for us.  No one can know our body, mind and spirit better than we do – we just need to re-educate our habits to take the responsibility and not hand our power over to others.

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How do we balance the effects of stress?  That’s been the focus of a majority of my clients lately so I felt it time to share some thoughts on this incredibly important subject.  You see, most of us have grown up with the idea that Self Care is Selfish!  We were taught to always look after others first however in any emergency situation, we are taught the opposite.  When you travel by air, the safety instructions in the event that oxygen masks are needed is to put yours on first and then you can be sure you are able to assist others! So – it’s time to revisit the importance of self care and create a new plan of action so that we keep our energy fuel tank at a healthy operating level.  I found a wonderful article from Elizabeth Scott, M.S. that I agree with on for 10 self care strategies.

You can’t always control the circumstances that life throws your way, but you can control how well you take care of yourself. Taking proper care of your body, soul and mind can keep you in optimum shape for handling stress. The following are some important basic self care strategies that can keep you functioning well and ready for life’s challenges.

1. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is very important for your emotional and physical wellbeing. Lack of sleep can negatively impact your ability to handle stress, be productive, and function properly. Unfortunately, busy schedules and stress can make sleep more elusive. Here are some important ways you can make sleep come more easily. And if you really aren’t able to get enough sleep at night, don’t underestimate the value of a power nap!

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Spritzer quartet

When I was in my late teens, my friends and I would often go to the local pizza parlour on Thursday evening because the men’s barbershop group would go there after practice to socialize and sing a few tunes for the patrons.  I absolutely loved the sound of their 4 part a capella music.  Little did I know that a few years later I would be introduced to the women’s counterpart group, the Sweet Adelines!  I was hooked after the first rehearsal and singing in this group is an incredible part of my life.   While it was the harmony that hooked me, there have been innumerable benefits to this wonderful hobby.  The friendships, continuous learning of vocal production, stage performance, choreography and travel top the list.  AND – there is a huge health benefit to singing as it increases your happy hormones and opens up the throat chakra.

I found a wonderful article that I wish to share with you here on the benefits of opening your throat chakra. Taken from the All Good Things website:

The Throat Chakra – The Great Purity Center

When the Throat Chakra is Blocked

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I was interviewed by Debbie Papadakis on Blog Talk radio in February and followed up with an Enneagram presentation at the Hypno-Healing Institute.  She gave me a book mark with a great poem that I would like to share with you here that prompted me to think about the mentors in our lives.

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“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly!” Richard Bach

Welcome to the first day of spring for 2012!  We are certainly experiencing cooperation from our weather in this region – I have witnessed a sudden change into shorts sleeves and sandals from warm coats and boots a couple of weeks ago! Beautiful! This day has had extra special meaning for me for the past 24 years as our first born arrived on this day in 1988.  Talk about experiencing a life changing event!

In his book, “When Everything Changes, Change Everything”, Neale Donald Walsch shares some wonderful stories and insights on how we typically deal with change, what we could do to manage it differently and why it is important. Here are a couple of passages that really spoke to me:

“If we can recognize that change and uncertainty are basic principles, we can greet the future and the transformation we are undergoing with the understanding that we do not know enough to be pessimistic!”

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What’s your love language?  It may be Valentine’s Day today, however any day is a good day to ask ourselves this question.   In his book titled “The Five Love Languages”, author Gary Chapman takes an in depth look at how we express and like to receive love from others in our lives. Gary shares that the “in love” experience temporarily meets the emotional need for love, but it is a quick fix and has a limited and predictable life span.  After we come down from the high of the “in love” obsession, the emotional need for love resurfaces because it is fundamental to our nature.   We needed love before we “fell in love” and we will need it as long as we live.

Could it be that deep inside the hurting couples exists an invisible “emotional love tank” with its gauge on empty?  Could the misbehaviour, withdrawal, harsh words or critical spirit occur because of that empty love tank?  If we could find a way to fill it, could the marriage/relationship be reborn?  With a full tank would couples be able to create an emotional climate where it is possible to discuss differences and resolve conflicts?  Could that tank be the key that makes marriages work?

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iStock_000002617232XSmallDo you find your happiness is dependent on the external circumstances of your life?

I have noticed a theme lately in working with clients and chatting with friends.  The discussions have reflected on how other people’s energy, actions and words affect our current state of happiness.  This is not new or unusual; however, we keep running into it at different levels.

We know our true happiness comes from inside, that we are responsible for how we respond to others and for our own perceptions, though putting it into practice is one of life’s greatest challenges!  So how do we tackle this challenge?

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Welcome to realizing your goals in 2012!  I am excited to begin this year as I feel the shift of new beginnings and new ways of being!  Whether you are a resolutions making type or not – the New Year often brings up questions of “what’s next!” for all of us. Though I do not create resolutions per se, for the past few years I come up with a word or phrase which becomes an overall theme for what I do in the year. My words last year were Clarify and Expand and as I reflect on the year, it was a definite theme!! This year,

This year as I have been pondering this question – the words that have come forth are Courage and Discipline – Courage to continue speaking my truth with a loving heart and discipline to deepen my spiritual practice.  I am sure that I am not alone when I report that I get on a really good path of daily meditation or journaling, weekly commitments to work on my business instead of just working in my business and then life happens! I get a diversion for a short period and it takes me longer than I realize to get back on track.  Now, I realize that diversions will always come up; however I can certainly get back on track with much more expediency.

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In my reiki master’s home is a plaque that speaks to me every time that I see it.  So whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hannukkah or a holiday season by any other name, I hope this will resonate with you in the coming weeks. It reads:

“Love me when I least deserve it because that is when I need it the most!”

This message reminds me of many moments in my life when those close to me are in “That Space”.  It happens often at this time of year when people are stressing out over the holidays. You know, those times when people in your life are miserable, moody, pushy or just closed off!  That is exactly what is happening – they or we are closing off the world because we are not feeling ready to take in any more.  The ‘more’ I am referring to, is more burdens, more challenges, more pain or whatever has put us into this place of negativity.  A self fulfilling scenario occurs as we express our own message of negativity to the world; we get more of that back.  Our ego gets to be right – we are justified in our bad mood because the world is just not kind and loving at this time.

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Last Friday was a special day!  I got to balance work and play! I spent the afternoon with my husband and 5 other couples making apple pies.  This has become an annual event and we all look so forward to the comradery and the fact that we have beautiful apple pies in our freezer to pull out throughout the year for a special dessert.

Let me back up – 11 years ago, I had a call from a friend who was putting together a couples’ activity group and wondered if my husband and I would enjoy participating.  There would be 6 couples and each would be responsible for creating an event once during the year for the group. I was all in to add a bit of play time to our busy schedules and jumped right in as it sounded like a wonderful idea.

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11-11-11 was a special day whose significance extends beyond its unique date. It was special because the entire world shared in the hope, blessings and meaning of this day. Around the world people shared conversations that focused on enlightenment, possibilities and potential. But the world didn’t end (it wasn’t supposed to) and we continue with our life journey. Now that 11-11-11 has come and gone, we must focus on carrying the energy’s momentum into the days following it. We do that by practicing integration, staying aligned with our intentions and putting them into practice to live at our peak performance every day. Like any other energetic shift, it’s what we do after it happens that is important. As Jennifer Hoffman simply put it, “the Universe delivers the energetic package, but we have to open it and decide where its contents should go”.

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I recently spoke at a wellness event about life balance with reference to the Enneagram.  This is an important focus for me and hence the tag line under my business name.  There are many ways to look at balancing our lives and all of them will bring awareness because we are taking time to reflect on our own situation.  If we did this more frequently, we may even avoid the experience of spending long periods of our life out of balance!

For my presentation, I decided to once again focus on the wisdom of the Enneagram to bring insights on how each of us may get out of balance.  The Enneagram is a dynamic personality system that highlights 9 different ways of thinking, feeling and acting in the world as well as acknowledging the accompanying strengths and challenges each type connects with.  Previous blog entries have covered an overview of each of the nine types if you require more detailed information here.

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I was asked by a reader to discuss my views on reiki and religion.  As an active Christian member in my church and a reiki practitioner for over 15 years, I felt drawn to respond to the request.  In fact, I just led a healing service this past summer at our church while our minister was on holidays.  I was able to find numerous supporting scripture verses to support “laying on of hands” as a healing modality. My initial reiki Master taught that “reiki takes care” as she would have students in her classes of different religious background or those who didn’t have a specific religious belief.  In these three words, I would also hear, “God takes care”, as it is not the reiki practitioner who does the healing.  We provide the channel for the universal life force to come through and provide whatever healing is required for the person’s highest interest.  These wise words of guidance take the responsibility for healing away from the practitioner.  In fact, my focus is to get out of the way and not let my ego take a lead role in the session.  So – my own inner belief is that I am supported by God to bring love through me to provide healing which can often be called energy healing.  As a person experiences this energy healing, they in turn often connect to their inner guidance that always knows what is true. As such it can be difficult to describe as each person experiences the healing in a different way pending their current physical condition, their belief systems and their ability to tune into the messages of their body.

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Fall is officially here and so too is the fourth quarter of 2011! I attended a wonderful business symposium last week entitled “Business Innovation in Changing Times”. It was focused to give small and medium sized businesses access to ideas and insights to adapt their businesses to the changing marketplace.  The afternoon keynote speaker was Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications and co-star of CBC’s Dragons Den. She shared real stories of her life journey and the lessons she learned about how to succeed in business and as an entrepreneur. They were tough, funny and very relate-able, especially for the women in the audience.  Arlene highlighted the incredible opportunity we have in Canada to live a life that we choose.  To remember what motivates us and to take opportunities when they present themselves and figure out the how tos along the way.  I look forward to reading more about her life lessons from her new book “Persuasion”.

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I tell people what really drew me to reiki and to the Enneagram was the ability to connect with my truth.  What’s the big deal with this anyway?  I believe that there is a direct correlation between connecting to our truth and true health and happiness.

I refer to a quotation that I often use in my announcements for Enneagram courses and that is “We are unconscious of 80% of what we think, say and do!”  That is a huge percentage and not one that instills a feeling of joy in most people! You see, we have been so programmed by life from the moment we entered this world, that our belief systems run most of our decisions.  Here are some examples that begin very early.

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“The beginning is always today.” ~Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley~

I recently flew out to Calgary to get our youngest son set up at University.  He was required to arrive early for pre-season training with the varsity men’s soccer team and I jumped at the opportunity to spend a few days together and move him into residence.  We had a great time and I was able to appreciate the commitment he had made to his soccer that gained him a spot on the team and he was able to appreciate the support that he always received at home that enabled him to focus on his training.

Now was the new beginning for both of us because our children’s growth is also our growth!  He will take over from here – the responsibility for his living arrangements, his training and his academics.  I on the other hand, have been released from my usual support duties and take over the role of cheer leader and advisor IF I get asked!

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“According to A Course in Miracles, everything in life involves relationship. Relationships with other people are “assignments,” in which two or more are brought together for maximal and mutual growth opportunity. Our relationships can be trips to heaven or trips to hell, depending on how we ourselves choose to perceive and interact with others.

Relationships can generate fear or they can generate love. It is through relationships that we either fall into patterns of limitation that would consistently hold us back, or rise to our most creative possibilities in life.”

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